CHINESE BOOK I started this book back in January, but I probably only pick it up once or twice a week. It's a classic novel written and set in 1930s China about an old upper class family adapting to the new Chinese society. I'm enjoying it, but it's probably a bit above my level to be honest. I think my reading speed is around 100 characters/words per minute. Only 130 pages left, so I think I'll finish it, then switch to something easier. CHINESE SERIES The other day my Chinese teacher recommended a website full of Chinese movies and TV series. I thought this crime drama looked interesting. I have to pause it quite a lot to read the Chinese subtitles, so it probably takes me 90 minutes to watch a 45 minute episode! Not ideal. Unless you're very motivated to watch the movie/TV series, I would normally recommend finding something easier. Anyway, feel free to share what you're reading or listening to these days.

A student of mine (hi Ion!) really surprised me recently by how quickly his vocabulary was growing. All of a sudden, he started using obscure words and authentic Scottish slang in our conversations. Most of these words and expressions we had only briefly covered a week or two earlier. Not only was he remembering the new words, but he was also able to recall them when speaking. This is a process that normally takes weeks or months of listening/reading repetitions before it translates into speaking ability. Ion, on the other hand, was doing it in a week! Being the kind and generous chap that he is, Ion was happy to share his secret with me. It turns out he was using the app DuoCards. Since he introduced it to me, I've been using the free version to learn Chinese vocabulary, and I have to say it's helping me change my mind about flashcards after overdosing on them in the past. The thing I like most about this app is that it's super quick, super simple to create new flashcards. If you try it, or any other flashcard app, tell us about your experience in this post. Link: https://app.duocards.com/i/RGVyZWsyMzU=